


The Parting Glass

by orphan_account



Series: In a World without Gold, We Might Have Been Heroes [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Assassin's Creed Fusion, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 20:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before they report for duty, Liam gives his younger brother a letter containing details of his past that were formerly unknown to him. How will learning his family's story change him? (Assassin's Creed AU - major Black Flag spoilers are contained inside, so don't read if you're wary of that sort of thing.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Parting Glass

“To you, my brother. I cannot believe that tomorrow you will finally be of age.” Liam raised his cup as a toast. “May we be blessed with years of adventure on the sea.”

Killian raised his glass and smiled. “And to you, Liam, whom I could not live without.”

As the brothers drank their fair share of celebratory ale, Killian looked around the room. There really wasn’t much - two mattresses made of straw, a small dining table, a few small candles that only just lit up the room. They had enough to get by while they were waiting to be shipped out with His Majesty’s Royal Navy, and yet, these items felt decadent to the brothers. In fact, the permanence of their room at the inn was itself a luxury. The two had spent their childhood roaming from town to town, looting and begging just to survive, and they were good at it.

Liam looked at his brother over the rim of his mug and chuckled. It was so like Killian to be sitting there, daydreaming, in the midst of company. He was, no doubt, thinking of his future days in the Navy. Liam cleared his throat. 

“Well, I do have a gift for you,” the older brother said, reaching into his back pocket and placing a worn piece of parchment between them on the table.

Killian raised his eyebrow in curiosity, reaching down for the letter.

“Before you open it, I must ask that you read the entire thing before you say anything, and that I am most sorry.”

Killian’s fingers hastened to open the letter at the sight of his brother’s face. Was there worry written across his eyes? Empathy? Killian broke the seal and began reading to find out.

* * *

_Dear Killian,_

_You do not know me, so I suppose I must introduce myself. My name is Edward Kenway, and when you were a small lad, I sailed you from Great Inagua to this grand country on my Jackdaw. You see, I’m writing you because there are things you need to know that only I can tell you, but I cannot bring myself to face you. Finding Liam was a miracle, but seeing you in person would mean facing my mistakes and broken promises. Please excuse me for writing you a letter instead of speaking to you as a man would._

_First and foremost, I offer my most sincere apology and my deepest condolences._

_It was I who left you in the orphanage. In my younger days, I had left England a married man, but when I returned with you, I was a widowed father. I was emotional and... incredibly thick, but that is no excuse for what I did to you. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of all of the wrongs I’ve caused in your life by abandoning you. It haunts me, and it will continue to haunt me every day until I die. I can only tell you that I am sorry with all of my heart, and that I hope you will accept my apology, though I understand if you wouldn’t._

_I must offer my condolences, as well, for while your mother and father were dear friends of mine, their passing and absence must be even more difficult for you to bear._

* * *

Killian looked up from the letter, his eyes red and watery. There were so many questions he had, so many answers he desired, but, remembering his agreement to read the letter without interruption, he kept them to himself. He rubbed his eyes a bit drier and continued on.

* * *

_Your father was a great man. I knew him as Thatch, an ally and friend who fought for freedom by my side at Nassau and across the sea. He would do anything to keep his friends safe and happy. However, the rest of the world knew him as Blackbeard, the fearsome captain of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and the pirate who held no quarter across the West Indies._

_Thatch had a flair for the dramatic. He spoke in a booming voice that rippled across the sea, inspiring fear and hope, depending on the audience. When seeking to intimidate, he would light fuses underneath his hat and in his beard, snarling at his opponents like a demon from Hell. It was truly a sight to behold, and I'm one of the few to have seen it that lived to tell the tale._

_He passed in battle, wielding his four pistols in addition to one of my own. After taking medicinal supplies from Charles-Towne, Thatch had confided to me that he intended to retire from pirating, and fate agreed that day in Ocracoke. We were ambushed by two Royal Navy vessels. There was nothing I could do to save him._

* * *

Killian openly cried now, his tears streaming silently down his face as he read.

* * *

_Your mother was the greatest woman I ever knew. Her name was Mary Read, but she spent most of her days as James Kidd. She was a mischievous but fiercely loyal pirate, and along with me and your father, one of the founders of the Pirate Republic of Nassau._

_Mary saw a greatness in me when there was little. As a young man and a new pirate, I sought out riches and fame. Your mother wanted none of that. She was a loyal woman who lived by a code, and when I was ready to die, she showed me another way to live. She taught me selflessness and the power of the greater good. She showed me that following a Creed does not command me to submit, but to be wise. She believed in good form above all else._

_At my lowest point, she kicked me off the drink and welcomed me into her brotherhood, into which I wish to welcome you, someday._

_Mary gained notoriety when, to defend her friend, Anne, she was forced to reveal her true identity. She and Anne began sailing with Jack Rackham’s crew, and soon enough, the ship was wanted by the Royal Navy. Fearing imprisonment, your mother and Anne took necessary precautions to ensure their safety. It was at this time that Thatch - shortly before his death - impregnated your mother. Thatch and I were among a small handful to know Mary’s real identity prior to her reveal. We were Mary’s closest friends, nothing more, but we would do anything to save her. I would’ve done the deed as well, if Mary had so wished it._

_Four months later, we lost Thatch in battle in Ocracoke, and I swear it was not even a week after when Mary and Anne were arrested. They pleaded the belly and were allowed a temporary stay of execution. Your mother’s mentor, Ah Tabai, and I staged a rescue, but we were too late. We arrived just as Mary was giving birth to you, Killian, but I’m afraid the circumstances were too much for her. I made an oath to do right by her, and she swore to be with me. She passed in my arms, and I carried her body back to the ship. Should you wish to visit and pay your respects, she rests now in Tulum._

* * *

The sob that escaped Killian’s lips shook him to the core. His face flushed red with anger, sadness, and confusion as he read Kenway’s last lines - a few more apologies and the coordinates of Great Inagua, should Killian wish to join his brotherhood.

Killian slammed the letter down on the table with disgust. “I can’t believe you _knew!”_ Rage permeated every pore of his body. “You knew all this time and you said _nothing!”_

Liam stood immediately. “Killian, I swore to—”

“I don’t care what you told that bastard!” The younger brother spat the word out as if it pained him more the longer it sat on his tongue. His feet carried him across the room where he slumped down onto his bed. Tears flooded his eyes and fell down his cheeks, but he took a moment to compose himself. 

“Liam, you don’t understand. For all my life, I thought they abandoned me, and now to find out… they were pirates. And, Gods, I wasn’t even born here. All this information, it’s enough to drive me mad.”

“I know.” Liam cautiously walked over towards Killian and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I know, brother. Edward and I agreed to wait to give you this letter until you were of age in the hopes that it would be easier, but I am quickly seeing that we were wrong.”

Killian leaned forward to bury his head in his hands, muffling his crying. “I killed her,” he whispered.

“You must never think that. You must promise me never to think that again. You did no such thing. It was the prison that killed her, not you.” Liam let Killian rest his head on his shoulder, and he squeezed his brother a little tighter. “I know we’re not blood, but we’re _brothers_. Tomorrow we will report to His Majesty’s Royal Navy. We will sail as dutiful soldiers for as long as is necessary, and when we have the proper funds, we will pay for a voyage to the West Indies.”

“To Great Inagua?”

Liam walked over and grabbed the two mugs from the table, handing Killian his ale. “Aye, lad, Great Inagua. And when we’ve settled there and found the brotherhood that your mother belonged to, then we will set sail for Tulum. We will live a life free of this government and free of restrictions, and we will be kings of the West Indies! But first, we must earn our dues. Is it a deal?”

Killian smiled. “It’s a deal, then, as long as I get to torch something of the Royal Navy's on our way out.”

“Of course!" Liam laughed. "Now, let’s spend our last night as civilians as any proper lads would - by getting piss drunk!” Liam chugged the rest of his mug’s contents and slapped Killian on the back. “We’re going to the Three Horseshoes tonight!”

Killian stood on his feet. “Brother, you are truly the best family I could’ve ever asked for. I will follow you to any corner of the world. But tonight, I’ll follow you to the tavern!” He followed his brother out the door, giving his letter one last glance before leaving. He was going to make it to the West Indies if it was the death of him.

**Author's Note:**

> I had to fudge Blackbeard and Mary Read's timelines a bit to make this work, but I hope it was enjoyable! I've been thinking about an Assassin's Creed AU ever since I played Black Flag, so there will definitely be more to come in this series.


End file.
